Non-CESO staff at BOC stays for now

ALL non-career executive service officers (CESO) at the Bureau of Customs will stay put until Malaca–ang finds their replacements, according to Customs commissioner Angelito Alvarez.

"This will ensure that there will be no disruption of services and also guarantees that there will be a formal turnover of the offices involved," he said.

Non-CESO personnel should have been relieved of their position as early as October 31.

The following BOC personnel are non-CESO: Bernardo Sales from the Import Assessment Group; Carmelita Crisologo, Post-Entry Audit Group; district collectors Edward dela Cuesta (Clark), Atty. Adelina Molina, now with the Office of the Commissioner (formerly with the Manila International Container Port), and Ronnie Silvestre (Cebu); and Simplicio Domingo, BOC legal department. Domingo chairs the Legal Working Group on Regulatory Matters for the Asean Single-Window Scheme.

ICARE revamp

Meanwhile, the BOC has revamped the Interim Customs Accreditation and Registration (ICARE) department, which evaluates and approves importers’ and brokers’ accreditation.

Deputy Commissioner Atty. Peter Manzano is now ICARE officer-in-charge. He replaced Atty. Rhea Gregorio, who became the acting chief of the Ruling and Research Division. Gregorio’s ICARE colleague Atty. Gerard Turiano was also transferred to Gregorio's department.

Importers have complained about the two-month processing time for their accreditation at ICARE. The department has apparently been suffering from lack of personnel.